How do you clean your engine?

[firelizard]

Originally Posted by blisterd_nuts

where can i get some good engine dresser?? for all the polish/rubber and plastic.

Cleaning it just like plastics on the outside of a car has yielded good results for me. You can use Armor All or something (I don't like Armor All, but it work)

[99blackSE]

Originally Posted by evo1234

Warm motor & cold garden hose = a chance of having a cracked aluminum block

True. Never tried the hose though so I've been lucky I guess.

I just warm it to the touch before spraying pre-mixed APC or P21S TAW (mixed with warm or hot water too), seems to help break the dirt down better. I think it's about as close as I'll get to steam cleaning until a miracle with my wallet happens.

[drahgon]

simple green is awesome stuff!

[skunk2ej1]

the only thing i cover up is the the ram air filter

i use a whole can of that citrus degreaser and make sure that every inch of the bay is sprayed, i take the pressure washer at the carwash and go to town, only avoid spraying full force on a few electrical things, but other then that the whole bay gets pressure washed....after all said is done, bag of rags and wipe ill down getting all that extra stubborn grease

[tylan]

like every said, cover all the eletronic stuff and intake filter, buy a good degreaser and spray the hell out of it and wait for 10 mins and rinse it with garden hose and tah dah... your engine bay will free of grease and dust. make sure your engine is cool and don't wait too long because degreaser will eat aluminum.

hope it helps.

[khmeroldiez]

http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-d...detailing.html

[oj8graz]

Originally Posted by dcayetano

quick question, how do you guys clean your engine bay?
Is it safe to just soap it up and spray my hose right into the engine bay? is ther anything i should cover up with plastic so the water won't go on it?

do i kno you???

[dcayetano]

iunno.. do i?

[reynardmauricio]

Originally Posted by Reburn

What is the purpose of the extremely fat end of your air intake?

it increases throttle response with the extra air held in the larger capacity intake pipe. (instead of sucking it thru the filter, there's readily available "filtered" air in the intake chamber).

[Jeff]

I can't believe you guys are all washing your engine bays by hand! If you clean it often enough, it never gets greasy enough to require a major job.

Just pop your hood every other time you're at the car wash, hit it with the engine degreaser from the wand, then just soap and rinse while you're doing the rest of the car. Don't directly spray the exhaust manifold because it's likely hot after driving to the car wash, but some splashing is fine. It happens when you drive in the rain anyway, and car wash water us usually hot. Don't force water into the spark plug cylinders, dizzy cap, or air filter. Again, splashing is fine. Manufacturers are pretty good at putting seals in any and every place that shouldn't get wet.

If you keep it clean by washing once a month or so, you'll never have to spend three hours with simple green and a toothbrush again.

If you own a show car, that's a different story, but frequent washing still makes the major detailing easier.

[nekky]

Originally Posted by Jeff

I can't believe you guys are all washing your engine bays by hand! If you clean it often enough, it never gets greasy enough to require a major job.

Just pop your hood every other time you're at the car wash, hit it with the engine degreaser from the wand, then just soap and rinse while you're doing the rest of the car. Don't directly spray the exhaust manifold because it's likely hot after driving to the car wash, but some splashing is fine. It happens when you drive in the rain anyway, and car wash water us usually hot. Don't force water into the spark plug cylinders, dizzy cap, or air filter. Again, splashing is fine. Manufacturers are pretty good at putting seals in any and every place that shouldn't get wet.

If you keep it clean by washing once a month or so, you'll never have to spend three hours with simple green and a toothbrush again.

If you own a show car, that's a different story, but frequent washing still makes the major detailing easier.

Amen.

[lexhernandez]

When my cousin used to work at McDink's back in the day, he used to steal me a jug of their degreaser and that shit worked wonders. lol.

[khmeroldiez]

Oh rly?

[lexhernandez]

Yep. I put it in a pressure washer with some warm water and let it sit for like 5 minutes and took a toothbrush to the valve cover and corners of the bay (ghetto, i know) and after rinsing it was all sparkling clean.